as in lawfulness
the quality or state of being legal
the legitimacy of the military dictatorship was not recognized by most other nations
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Recent Examples of legitimacy
And that revived the Army’s, or at least Munir’s, legitimacy as the solid leader and national hero who had saved Pakistan.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
For Rodríguez, the immediate challenge is legitimacy.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
This matchup is both a measuring stick for New York against an elite title contender and a potential Finals preview, with playoff seeding, momentum, and legitimacy all on the line in the final stretch of the regular season.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The buzz grew even bigger when the Philadelphia Phillies debuted their own version of the challenge at Citizens Bank Park during the 2025 postseason, giving the grassroots trend its first taste of official ballpark legitimacy.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
For Rodríguez, the immediate challenge is legitimacy.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
This matchup is both a measuring stick for New York against an elite title contender and a potential Finals preview, with playoff seeding, momentum, and legitimacy all on the line in the final stretch of the regular season.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The buzz grew even bigger when the Philadelphia Phillies debuted their own version of the challenge at Citizens Bank Park during the 2025 postseason, giving the grassroots trend its first taste of official ballpark legitimacy.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legitimacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legitimacy
Noun
-
The petitions are not contesting removal orders, only the lawfulness of detaining the noncitizen plaintiffs during those proceedings.—
Tasha Carvell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2026
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The lawfulness of an order would be determined by a military judge.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While not issuing a quick rejection, key conservative justices seemed skeptical of the administration’s arguments for its legality.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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The clause was intended to overrule the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, which – among other things – denied the legality of Black citizenship in America.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legitimacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legitimacy. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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